T H E L O S T Y U N A

Moonlight

As I laid in bed, unable to sleep a wink yet again, I sighed and reluctantly sat up. At this point, I'd lost count of how many sleepless nights in a row it had been. Sometimes I was lucky, and was able to get two to three hours, but other nights...

I knit my eyebrows together and shook my head.

Stop thinking!

I stared out my window at the moonlight illuminating the buildings. It must have been early morning judging by the angle of the light, no later than 2 o'clock. The structure outside had a dark blue roof, but the moonlight altered it's hue, making it a light color that I recognized better than I'd care to admit.

Gaara...

I quickly looked down at my hands. Sweat glistened on my palms, clammy from the humid night air in my bedroom. Thoughts of him flooded my brain as they always did at this time of night, causing me to sigh and swing my feet over the edge of my small mattress.

About two months had passed now since I first started my assignment as Gaara's aid. The awkwardness between us had subsided slightly, but I still felt it every time I looked at him. At this point, I was starting to wonder if the tension between us was all in my head. I tried to ignore it as best as I could, making small talk and attempting to figure out what went on in his mind when he looked at me. He always had this look of... concern? Or was it regret hinted in his eyes? I could never tell. Either way, he did his best to remain stoic, only allowing his true feelings to show through his gaze.

In fact, the only subject that Gaara would talk freely with me about was the village. It was clear that he would do anything in his power to protect the people of Suna. Even though some of the people still had their doubts about him, he made it his life's goal to work as hard as he could to prove them wrong. He just wanted to be accepted, even if he wouldn't outright say those words to me.

And I can relate to that want...

I walked sluggishly to my dresser, pulling on a pair of shorts and stuffing my feet into my civilian shoes. I stepped on the back of my heals, too lazy to properly lace them as I lifted my shoulder length, tangled hair into a ponytail.

I need some air.

Leaving my grey, extra baggy sleep shirt on, I yawned as I exited my apartment. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked up at the moon as I walked. It was extra bright tonight, and seemed to be almost full as I noticed the smallest sliver missing from it's typically round form. I was greeted by a breeze in the air and smiled as it sent a pleasant shiver through my bones. The nights in Suna were colder with the absence of the sun, making it bearable to be outside for longer than normal.

Sighing again, I returned my vision to my feet as I trudged through the sand. Walking on autopilot, I found myself thinking of what my life might have been like if my mother had survived. Would she let me out of the house at 2 o'clock in the morning because I couldn't sleep? Probably not. Maybe I would already have my own place by now though, I was seventeen after all. I smirked down at my shoes, imagining how my rebellious teenage phase would have gone if I had someone to tell me what to do. Would my personality have changed at all?

I found my vision started to blur as I realized my eyes began to tear up. I lifted my arm and wiped at my eyes as I lifted my head towards the moon.

I hope that I'm making you proud, Mother.

As I opened my eyes, I realized that my feet lead me down a familiar road, one that I walked down every single day. I took my gaze from the moon and assessed my surroundings, letting my eyes fall on one house in particular. I silently cursed myself as I stood dead in my tracks. Why did my feet have to take me here of all places?